The Beginning
Teddy Love Club originated from an idea to reach out to other parents who have lost their precious baby or babies to miscarriage, termination for foetal abnormality, stillbirth and neonatal death. The giving of a teddy bear to newly bereaved parents before they have to walk out of the hospital with such empty arms.
The original Teddy Love Club program was started on October 26th 2002 at the Adelaide Women's & Children's Hospital with only 3 bears by two Mums who suffered the tragic loss of their daughters from twin to twin transfusion syndrome. We did not have any high expectations or plans we just wanted to give a little something to someone else about to walk this road. The giving of these 3 bears just grew and now Teddy Love Club has touched many (too many) lives.
We found 3 perfect teddy bears, thought up the name TEDDY LOVE CLUB, made the beautiful teddy tag, I wrote the message inside and we found the angel in the book of life poem. We changed just a few words as it then sounded that bit softer. TLC is the only place you will read the poem written this way. We took those 3 teddy bears that were given to the next families about to leave the hospital with such empty arms.
In February 2002 I had to walk out of the hospital without my precious babies. My beautiful twin daughters ~Amie-Lee & Emily~ had been born sleeping at 27.3wks. It is such a heartbreaking feeling to have to leave the hospital without your babies. My arms truly ached. My dreams were shattered and leaving the hospital without my babies left such a mark on my heart. I really wanted & needed to do something because of my girls and reach out to other parents about to leave the hospital without their baby or babies. This is why I started the original TEDDY LOVE CLUB program on October 26th 2002 with Kylie Crawford in memory of our 3 girls.
I now co-run the program with Jaylee Cooper.
This is my special way to honour my girls little lost lives.
Trudi Penrose-Starr
click here to read my girls story
